12 products reclassified as special containers from December 2022
Following applications made by PSNC to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), a further 12 products will be re-determined as special container from 1 December 2022. This takes the total number of products granted special container status over the past 2 years to nearly 150 following checks made by PSNC.
The 12 products re-determined as special containers from 1 December 2022 are as follows:
| Drug name (Manufacturer) | Pack size | Special container | |
| Estradiol 10microgram pessaries (Advanz Pharma) | 24 | Complete pack | |
| Femodene ED tablets (Bayer Plc) | 84 tablet 3 x (21 tablets + 7 tablets) | Sub-pack of 28 | |
| Foodlink Complete Compact Starter Pack sachets (Nualtra Ltd) | 5 sachet 1 x (5 x 57g sachets) | Complete pack | |
| Fortisip Compact Starter Pack liquid (Nualtra Ltd) | 750 ml (6 x 125ml bottles) | Complete pack | |
| Intrarosa 6.5mg pessaries (Theramex HQ UK Ltd) | 28 pessary 4 x 7 pessaries | Complete pack | |
| Logynon ED tablets (Bayer Plc) | 84 tablet 3 x (6tabs+5tabs+10tabs+7tabs) | Sub-pack of 28 | |
| Logynon tablets (Bayer Plc) | 63 tablet 3 x (6 tabs + 5 tabs + 10 tabs) | Sub-pack of 21 | |
| Microgynon 30 ED tablets (Bayer Plc) | 84 tablet 3 x (21 tablets + 7 tablets) | Sub-pack of 28 | |
| Synphase tablets (Pfizer Ltd) | 21 tablet 1 x (7 tabs + 9 tabs + 5 tabs) | Complete pack | |
| TriRegol tablets (Consilient Health Ltd) | 63 tablet 3 x (6tabs + 5tabs + 10tabs) | Sub-pack of 21 | |
| Vagirux 10microgram vaginal tablets (Gedeon Richter (UK) Ltd) | 24 | Complete pack | |
| Qlaira tablets (Bayer Plc) | 84 tablet 3 x (2 + 2 + 2 + 17 + 5 tabs) | Sub-pack of 28 | |
PSNC’s Dispensing & Supply team has reviewed over 4,000 products against Drug Tariff special container criteria. The three main criteria under which PSNC has focused its attention are drugs that are considered to be hygroscopic in nature, viscous external preparations and those packaged in containers from which it is not practical to dispense the exact quantity. Of those checked, PSNC has identified and submitted applications for 894 products that appear to meet one or more of the special container criteria and thus far DHSC has approved applications for 149 of these products. PSNC is still awaiting a decision from the Department on several outstanding requests.
Where a product meets the special container criteria as set out in the Drug Tariff, a special container indicator for the relevant pack size (complete pack or sub-pack) is applied to the respective product entries in the dm+d and in the Drug Tariff, where listed.
For a list of all the monthly changes to the special container status of products please see the following page Notice of changes to special container status of products.
If you identify any particular product(s) which are not currently classed as special containers but you believe satisfy the criteria (as set out in Part II CLAUSE 10 B of the Drug Tariff), please notify PSNC’s Dispensing and Supply Team (0203 1220 810 or info@cpe.org.uk) who will investigate and assess if it meets the relevant criteria. Where appropriate, PSNC will make application to the NHSBSA and DHSC seeking for the special container status of the product(s) to be re-determined.
